Dawsey: Starting a Family Part 2

Chapter 270

Matt's POV: After spending the past 30 minutes finishing up at Union Station, we were finally back at the firehouse with all the trucks. In total, we spent the past 2 1/2 hours at the scene and we were now on break for the next hour and a half. Parking the Jeep in the garage, I smiled when I saw Louie and Gabby in the garage. "Hey, you might want to get safe. We're all back." Gabby turned to look at me and then nodded. "Severide didn't look too happy walking up with his crew." I sighed while walking over to him. "I relieved him of Senior Lieutenant status." 

Picking Louie up, I smiled at him. "How have you been this morning bud? You take a nap yet?" Louie then shook his head and went to hug me. "He got scared and said he wasn't going to sleep until you came back. He doesn't want to loose another daddy." I nodded when he said that before going to kiss his forehead. "Well buddy, I am on break for the next hour and a half." Gabby was shocked when I said that. "Why?" I then sighed. "Hard fought fire. We needed a break. Commissioner said it was okay. Babe, we've been gone for 2 1/2 hours." Gabby agreed.

That's when I saw Severide come out. "You are letting the power you have to go to your head." I then stared at him. "Gabby, how about you go grab us some lunch. I have to speak to Severide." Gabby then nodded when I said that. "C'mon Louie, mommy is going to get some lunch for us and daddy will come join us upstairs to take a shower." I nodded and agreed with her before looking at Severide. "You want to rephrase how you just said that Lieutenant? Last time I checked, your status as senior Squad Lieutenant was my choice." He then looked at me.

"Wait, who are you putting in as Senior now?" I then looked at Kannell. "Kannell!" Kannell then walked over to me. "Yes Chief?" I then looked at Severide. "This is your new senior squad Lieutenant for the rest of shift. Understood?" Kannell nodded when I said that and walked away. However Severide was not happy. "You're kidding me right? I am your best friend." He then went to push me and was not happy. "Lt. Severide! Would you like me to suspend you from your Lieutenancy for the next shift?" He then stared at me. "You can't do that." I nodded.

"I am the Battalion Chief. I am the one who decides who is in leadership at my house. Keep pushing the boundaries and I am going to have to come down harder on you. Just be lucky that I am know you are grieving and that you are my best friend...if not, you would've already been sent home so be very careful when it comes to pushing your boundaries." Severide then looked at me. "I am pushing my boundaries? You are pushing the boundaries!" That's when I heard Grissom come in. "ENOUGH!" Turning to look at him, I nodded. "Commissioner."

Grissom walked over to me and then went to shake my hand. "Good job on the last call Chief. How about instead of doing this in public...we can go speak in your office? Unless you would rather do it here." I then sighed. "You can't come into the house unless you are masked. Do you have one?" Grissom sighed and shook his head. "Then we have to stay out here. I implemented a rule that masks are required to enter the firehouse for the rest of the COVID-19 Pandemic." Grissom nodded and agreed. "I should do the same for all CFD properties." I nodded.

I then turned to look at Severide. "Severide, you are not my equal anymore...heck, you haven't been my equal for years. But you knew this was coming. I told you this before my first shift...I am your Battalion Chief now and you are to respect my orders. If you can't, then you will either have to find a new house or you will be demoted." Severide stared at me when I said that "You are really okay with letting him do this to me Grissom?" Grissom sighed when he asked him that. "Severide, I may be close family friends with you but...you are not to make orders."

Severide looked at me. "It was the right call though." I then shook my head. "What if I had called an air ambulance for a critical patient on the ground. You would've stolen my air ambulance. When I am on scene, you are not to tell the ambulances to take your patients. Heck, you think I am mad...just be glad that I was able to talk Chief Hatcher down and told him that I would take care of this. He has a personal beef with Firehouse 51 because of Gabby. He was not pleased. If you think that we are being tough on you, then you haven't met Chief Hatcher."

Severide then sighed as he looked at me. "Listen, I am sorry okay? I am still getting used to this while grieving." I nodded when he said that. "And listen Severide, I get that as your friend. But here, I am your Battalion Chief. I am your boss. And it's my job to make sure that you go home safe after shift. If you disobey my orders...then you are not allowing me to fulfill the obligations that I swore to do. To keep all my men safe and make sure they go home every night. I am your chief and you are to treat me with the same respect that you showed Boden."

Severide nodded when I said that. "You are no longer senior Lieutenant effective immediately. You will report to Kannell for the rest of shift. He will report to me. Is that understood Lieutenant?" Severide nodded and then looked at me one last time. Going to shake his hand, I nodded. "You are on break for a while. Take a breather and speak to Kannell. I am going to go spend time with the family." We all agreed and nodded as I went to walk upstairs to go see Gabby and Louie after grabbing some lunch.